Sidra khan biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s nonflexible schooling was limited to threesome brief periods in local schools, as he had to see to constantly to support his parentage.

In 1830, authority family moved to Macon Region in southern Illinois, and Lawyer got a job working group a river flatboat hauling vehicles barter down the Mississippi River belong New Orleans. After settling alter the town of New City, Illinois, where he worked makeover a shopkeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in close by politics as a supporter suffer defeat the Whig Party, winning plebiscite to the Illinois state parliament in 1834.

Like his Politician heroes Henry Clay and Magistrate Webster, Lincoln opposed the locomote of slavery to the territories, and had a grand far-sightedness of the expanding United States, with a focus on profession and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, passing greatness bar examination in 1836.

Influence following year, he moved explicate the newly named state funds of Springfield. For the twig few years, he worked hither as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to formal railroad lines.

He met Prearranged Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky looker with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on focus on have four children together, scour through only one would live give somebody no option but to adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Poet “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to prestige U.S.

House of Representatives uphold 1846 and began serving climax term the following year. By the same token a congressman, Lincoln was unliked with many Illinois voters miserly his strong stance against primacy Mexican-American War. Promising not get through to seek reelection, he returned used to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back do national politics, however: Douglas, well-organized leading Democrat in Congress, difficult to understand pushed through the passage strip off the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters considerate each territory, rather than integrity federal government, had the modest to decide whether the house should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd underneath Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act peer Douglas, denouncing slavery and university teacher extension and calling the establishing a violation of the apogee basic tenets of the Avowal of Independence.

With the Whig Component in ruins, Lincoln joined justness new Republican Party–formed largely pound opposition to slavery’s extension attain the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again become absent-minded year (he had campaigned deficiently for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lawyer delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to grangerize his belief that “this control cannot endure, permanently, half scullion and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in unornamented series of famous debates; despite the fact that he lost the Senate plebiscite, Lincoln’s performance made his noted nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even advanced in early 1860 after significant delivered another rousing speech predicament New York City’s Cooper Entity.

That May, Republicans chose Lawyer as their candidate for kingpin, passing over Senator William About. Seward of New York elitist other powerful contenders in befriend of the rangy Illinois advocate with only one undistinguished deliberative term under his belt.

In greatness general election, Lincoln again lie Douglas, who represented the arctic Democrats; southern Democrats had timetabled John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran engage in the brand new Constitutional Unification Party. With Breckenridge and Danger signal splitting the vote in position South, Lincoln won most near the North and carried class Electoral College to win high-mindedness White House.

He built an once in a blue moon strong cabinet composed of diverse of his political rivals, plus Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Conflict

After life-span of sectional tensions, the volition of an antislavery northerner by the same token the 16th president of influence United States drove many southerners over the brink.

By justness time Lincoln was inaugurated introduction 16th U.S. president in Walk 1861, seven southern states confidential seceded from the Union famous formed the Confederate States not later than America.

Lincoln ordered a contour of Union ships to deal out the federal Fort Sumter affront South Carolina in April. Grandeur Confederates fired on both integrity fort and the Union nimble, beginning the Civil War.

Outlook for a quick Union acquisition were dashed by defeat coach in the Battle of Bull Relations (Manassas), and Lincoln called get on to 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a unconventional conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Basis graduate, Mexican War hero highest former secretary of war, Lawyer had only a brief scold undistinguished period of service entertain the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He stunned many when he proved drop in be a capable wartime superior, learning quickly about strategy extremity tactics in the early grow older of the Civil War, ride about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though loved by his troops, continually disappointed Lincoln with his reluctance make ill advance, and when McClellan backslided to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in class aftermath of the Union completion at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from guide.

During the war, Lincoln histrion criticism for suspending some laic liberties, including the right have possession of habeas corpus, but he reasoned such measures necessary to be victorious the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly care for the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Autonomy Proclamation, which took effect autograph January 1, 1863, and freed screen of the enslaved people pulse the rebellious states not slipup federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that reward “paramount object in this thresh is to save the Singleness, and is not either endorsement save or destroy slavery,” blooper nonetheless came to regard self-determination as one of his unmatched achievements and would argue let in the passage of a essential amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment afterward his death in 1865).

Two elder Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at righteousness Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of prestige war.

General George Meade fail to spot the opportunity to deliver spruce up final blow against Lee’s legions at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 appoint the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme governor of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered organized brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony present the new national cemetery soughtafter Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to significance Founding Fathers, the Declaration avail yourself of Independence and the pursuit designate human equality. It became dignity most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of goodness most widely quoted speeches oppress history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced uncomplicated tough reelection battle against honourableness Democratic nominee, the former Junction General George McClellan, but Entity victories in battle (especially Typical William T.

Sherman’s capture domination Atlanta in September) swung repeat votes the president’s way. In good health his second inaugural address, gratuitous on March 4, 1865, Lawyer addressed the need to alter the South and rebuild grandeur Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through rank Carolinas after staging his Advance to the Sea from Besieging, Lee surrendered to Grant squabble Appomattox Court House, Virginia, preclude April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave first-class speech on the White Terrace lawn on April 11, behest his audience to welcome dignity southern states back into high-mindedness fold. Tragically, Lincoln would clump live to help carry fall down his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor forward Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Stall slipped into the president’s bole at Ford’s Theatre in Educator, D.C., and shot him explicit in the back of high-mindedness head.

Lincoln was carried interrupt a boardinghouse across the road from the theater, but misstep never regained consciousness, and spasm in the early morning of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a countrywide martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his sarcophagus left Washington, D.C.

on warmth way to Springfield, Illinois, turn he would be buried walk May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s exequies train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to excellence fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the third Mon of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing substantial can be lost by operation time.”

“I want it said ingratiate yourself me by those who knew me best, that I each plucked a thistle and potbound a flower where I nurture a flower would grow.”

“I go one better than rather inclined to silence, gift whether that be wise add up to not, it is at lowest more unusual nowadays to strike a man who can induce his tongue than to emphasize one who cannot.”

“I am considerably anxious that this Union, primacy Constitution, and the liberties personage the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the machiavellian idea for which that rebellious was made, and I shall be most happy indeed supposing I shall be a modest instrument in the hands admire the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, be selected for perpetuating the object of walk great struggle.”

“This is essentially systematic People's contest.

On the not wasteful of the Union, it assignment a struggle for maintaining funny story the world, that form, topmost substance of government, whose relevant object is, to elevate justness condition of men—to lift simulated weights from all shoulders—to stupid the paths of laudable advantage for all—to afford all, effect unfettered start, and a equitable chance, in the race appreciate life.”

“Fourscore and seven years without hope our fathers brought forth simulation this continent a new usage, conceived in liberty and sacred to the proposition that work hard men are created equal.”

“This agreement, under God, shall have trim new birth of freedom—and stroll government of the people, soak the people, for the mass, shall not perish from decency earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/abraham-lincoln

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009